


i saw them standing right there, kinda thought they might care

by Dabberdees



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Dark Fam, Dhawan!Doctor - Freeform, F/M, Role Reversal, Whittaker!Master - Freeform, Yeah you read that right
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:54:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23949451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dabberdees/pseuds/Dabberdees
Summary: The Doctor wakes up in a cell, eyes blinking around it and landing on the woman slumped in front of him, her blonde hair fans her face, covering it from view.
Relationships: Spydoc - Relationship, Thirteenth Doctor & Yasmin Khan & Graham O'Brien & Ryan Sinclair, Thirteenth Doctor/The Master (Dhawan)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 90





	i saw them standing right there, kinda thought they might care

It's a buzzing, or perhaps it's not, the Doctor really isn't sure what awakens him from the unwanted nap, but he's glad he has when his eyes land on the woman in front of him, hands locked together but otherwise free from the wall. She's in what seems to be a wine-red shirt and black trousers, unconscious. He goes to move forward and finds himself yanked back by a jangle of chains.

"Sonic, need my sonic-" The Doctor murmurs, hips wriggling to see if he can loosen it from his back pocket. "Come on-" The clinging and clanking of his chains stir the unknown woman in front of him. "Hey-"

She groans awake and rubs a hand across her tired eyes, blonde hair fanning over her face. "Where-" Her eyes squint before focusing on to the Doctor. "-who are you?"

The Doctor smiles kindly towards her. "A friend," He nods. "You were here when I woke up."

The woman nods in return and slowly brings a hand to her head. "Where is here?" She asks, and if the Doctor is correct, that's a northern British accent if he's ever heard one. "My head hurts."

"I'm not sure, but-" The Doctor scrunches his face in thought. "-I'll figure something out." He makes sure to smile towards her. "Promise," His eyes flick over her, making sure she's all right. "What's your name?"

The unknown woman slumps back against the wall, bound hands lowering to her lap. "Uh-" Her brows crease together. "Joan, Joan Amster."

"I'm the Doctor, Joan," He introduces himself. "Can you remember anything from before?"

"Before?"

"Yeah," The Doctor prompts. "If I'm right that's a northern accent-"

"Huddersfield," Joan informs with a sigh. "I think I was coming home from work," She imparts. "But it's foggy."

"It probably is," The Doctor agrees. "Can I ask a favour?"

"Huh?"

The Doctor keeps his voice calm. "I have something in my pocket that can get the pair of us out of here," He says, shiting slightly to show the pocket. "But with my chains, I can't get to it, but your hands are only bound."

Joan looks down at her hands and nods, eyes shutting briefly. "I can get it," She murmurs and comes forward slowly. "What am I looking for?"

"It's silver," The Doctor explains. "Glows purple."

"Right," Joan says, clearing her throat as she reaches forward and pulls the sonic free. "What do you need me to do?"

"Just hold it up to my bindings," The Doctor instructs. "And press the button on top."

"Okay," Joan mumbles, sticking her tongue out of her mouth as she does it.

The Doctor feels his bindings loosen, and he grins. "Brilliant," He quickly takes the sonic of Joan and repeats her steps, releasing her hands as well. "Now, how about we get out of here?"

Joan nods her head. "Do you know the way?"

"No," The Doctor shrugs and then reaches a hand out towards Joan, fingers wiggling. "But we'll figure something out; I always do."

Joan accepts the Doctor's hand, and he leads her towards the door. He makes short work of the lock and door and quickly pulls himself and Joan through it. "Now-" He looks up and down the stark corridor. "Which way to go?"

"Left."

The Doctor faces Joan with a raised eyebrow. "Left?"

Joan smiles slightly. "My grandad always said when in doubt turn left because you at least made a decision that way."

The Doctor smirks back at her. "Left it is then. Wise man your grandad."

They begin their journey again. The Doctor is pulling Joan along with him as they go. His eyes flick around the different corridor, brows creasing together when he spots another cell.

"What's up?"

The Doctor glances back towards Joan. "There might be other people," He says, releasing her hand and quickly making his way towards the cell. "It's a good thing that these aren't made of wood or deadlocked sealed-" He rambles over his shoulder to Joan as he unlocks the tall steel door. "-that would make this tricky." He pushes the door open, eyes widening when he spots two others staring back at him in fear. Young and ordinary in all senses of the word. "Joan-"

"What?"

"Two more," The Doctor says as he enters. He heads towards the young man first and releases his hands before removing the cloth gag from his mouth. "Are you okay?"

"He took us!" The lad cries. "We were coming home from work and the next thing-"

"-He hit Ryan on the back of his head," A new voice says, and the Doctor turns towards her. "Yasmin Khan," She informs him. "Hallamshire police."

The Doctor leans away from Ryan and heads over to Yasmin. "Joan was coming home from work as well." He murmurs as he undoes her bindings with the sonic. "And so were you two as well." He stands up and rubs a hand across his chin. "Three people coming home from work, not a coincidence, and I don't like that."

Yasmin stands up with help from Joan; their eyes lock against one another. "I need to report this-"

"We need to get out of here first," Ryan points out, joining them all. "Wherever here is, that is."

"Just follow me then," The Doctor says, giving the two newcomers a once over like he did for Joan. "Yasmin."

"Yes?" Yasmin blinks. 

"Did you see what this man looked like?"

Yaz brows furrow together. "Yeah," She says. "It was dark when he took us, but he's been in here a few times since that." She rubs a hand over her eyes. "He's white, probably in his fifties, greyish hair."

"Anything else?"

Ryan nods. "This gold stuff-"

"Gold stuff?"

"Yeah," Ryan steps forward. "We're not sure what it was, but at times he just doubled over and-"

"And what?" The Doctor asks with trepidation. "What did it look like?"

Yasmin glances to Ryan. "Like wisps," She reveals. "I know it sounds crazy, but this gold stuff just came out of his skin."

The Doctor's eyes widen, and he swallows nervously. "The next bit, it's important," He looks at Ryan and Yaz before flicking his eyes towards Joan. "Have you three seen anything else?"

"Like what?" Joan questions. "The only thing I remember is waking up here."

Ryan's eyes flick to Yasmin and then back towards the Doctor. "His name."

"Name?"

"Master," Ryan whispers. "He made us call him the Master."

The Doctor feels his blood and bones chill, turning to ice at the mention of the name. "Are you sure?"

Yaz nods, eyes darting away, arms now folding across her chest in anxiety. "He hasn't done anything to us yet, just came in to watch us and taunt."

The Doctor inhales and nods. "Stay behind me," He looks towards the three humans individually. "This man," His eyes flick towards the door. "He's regenerated then."

"What?"

"The last time I saw him," The Doctor's eyes close, and he pushes down the memories of a field, of her, his previous self, begging him to stay by her side. His severe brows and dark eyes leaving her alone, abandoning her to his Angels. Oh, how she begged him to join her, but he didn't.

Or couldn't.

"Are you all right, Doctor?" Joan whispers, curious eyes locked on his face in concern. "You look far away."

The Doctor snaps his eyes to Joan's face, and he pushes down old thoughts and feelings. "Stay behind me."

"You said that," Ryan frowns. "Why?"

"The man we're dealing with is dangerous," The Doctor informs them as he turns and faces the door. " _Very dangerous_."

Joan's face shifts and she smirks at the Doctor's back when he turns away. "Is he really that dangerous?" She asks, innocent. "Are we safe?"

The Doctor stares down the corridor. "Just follow me," He answers as he steps out and begins to lead the way through the building. The three people behind him keep quiet as they follow, leaving the Doctor time to think.

What does he say when he sees the Master again? And who is he this time? Ryan and Yasmin mentioned the golden glow, so that means he's changed.

But into what?

His hair is still grey if what they said was the truth, so is he similar?

The Doctor exhales, and he pushes the thoughts away as they come up to a door. Circular letters are indented upon it. He reaches a hand out towards them and traces them before yanking his hand away and laying it down on the handle.

"Don't speak," The Doctor orders. "If he's behind this door," He glances back, eyes looking onto fearful faces. "Just let me speak to him." He pushes the door open and dodges into the room.

"You're out then." The Doctor snaps his head to the owner of the voice. "And you've changed."

The Doctor looks upon the man, his friend, his enemy, and- "And so have you."

"Not as- Not as much as you." The Master replies, voice shaking slightly, but not in nerves.

"Who is he?" Joan asks, stepping forward and frowning when the Doctor pulls her back by the arm. "Doctor?"

"Joan," The Doctor steps in front of her, protecting her. "Go back to Ryan and Yasmin."

"But-" Joan steps around the Doctor again, and she moves quickly, slipping from his grasp. She makes her way over to the man and glances back. "-He looks like a _grandfather_ ," She states. "You said he was dangerous." Her face frowns. "Could this man hurt anything?"

The Doctor moves forward. "He-" He stops, frowning when 'The Master' does nothing but look towards Joan as if he's waiting for instruction, blue eyes focused on her face.

Joan laughs, the sound mocking. "Graham, you make an awful me, you really do," She shoves him lightly. "Yaz would've done a better job."

'The Master' looks at Joan with wide eyes. "I never wanted to be _you_ ," He retorts with a frown. "You wanted me to be you; I told you I couldn't lie." He gestures at himself with offence.

"Well, it's good I don't keep you around for lying then, isn't it?" Joan turns and looks at Ryan and Yasmin. "At least Ryan and Yaz were believable." She faces Graham again. "Don't make me take points from you."

"Hey," Graham scowls. "That's not fair; I did the other stuff for you."

The woman inclines her head to the side. "Yeah, you did," Her eyes roll, and she sighs. "Fine, keep your points."

The Doctor, to put it bluntly, is lost—the shift in tone. Joan's innocence and confusion shifted to glee. The Master, who isn't the Master, and- The Doctor calls out in shock when Ryan and Yaz grab him, pushing him onto his knees. "What is going on?"

"I'm not the Master," The man named Graham says. He looks towards 'Joan' with reverence. "She is, cockle, sorry."

The Doctor follows his gaze and his hearts quicken when the woman stares down at him, face morphing to one he knows all too well. She saunters forward and brings a hand to his chin, lifting his head. "Doctor."

"How?"

"Say my name."

"No."

She leans forward. "Say it."

" _Master_ ,"

She grins at him. "Hi."

The Doctor bites his tongue, eyes flicking past her. "What have you done to them?"

The Master scowls at the Doctor, pushing his head free form her grip. "Who?"

The Doctor looks towards Graham and then to Ryan and Yaz. "You're not one for friends," He stares back towards her again. "So, what have you done to these people? Why are they here?"

The Master shrugs. "What have I done to them?" She asks, looking at them all. "Nothing." She answers, lips pursed and hands on her hips. "I just showed them what they could be, what they should be." She moves back towards the older man. "Take Graham here," She pats him on the arm. "I gave him the means to take the revenge he needed; now he takes care of things, and I guess _people_ -" Her hand wiggles in the air. "-for me."

The Doctor stares at the older man, eyes picking up the shift on his face. Darker and with a hint of regret. "Revenge?"

"My wife died," Graham answers, back straightening, eyes flicking away. "I got rid of the problem."

"He means he _killed_ the problem," The Master smiles. "They grow up quite fast with the right push."

The Doctor looks towards Graham. "You took a grieving man and-"

"I took a man who wanted _revenge_ and helped him achieve it," The Master interjects with anger. "And why shouldn't he have taken it?" She steps forward. "It was his right; the man he killed was responsible for the death of his wife."

"And those two?" The Doctor demands, head lifting and looking up at Ryan and Yaz. "What did they want?"

"Escape and family," The Master answers. "Yaz got hers, and Ryan gained what he needed from us."

"You twisted them."

"Did I?" The Master leans against her console. "Humans are capable of greats things," She looks at her hand. "You always said they were."

"Not this-" The Doctor calls out, pulling himself free from Ryan and Yaz and staring at the Master. "-you made a _killer_ ," The Master glances towards Graham and back again, nonplussed. "Humans are-"

"Better than I thought," The Master interjects. "They proved themselves to me." She smiles and stares at the Doctor. "They can be your friends as well."

"What?"

"I made them for you," The Master says. "You always had friends, but they died, and they left, but these three, they won't." Her grin widens. "They can't; I made sure of that."

The Doctor looks to the three humans. "What have you done to them?"

"What was necessary," The Master replies. "What has always been necessary to _survive_."


End file.
